Cruiser Bike Insurance

One of the most popular types of motorbikes in the world; a cruiser is all about style, attitude and size.  The typical rider of a cruiser conjures up images of beards, bald heads, bandanas and lots of leather.

Cruisers are modelled after American bikes like Harley-Davidson and Indians that are beautiful, large and heavy machines.  It is often said that cruisers are somewhat stuck in a time warp, with retro styles that range from the late 1930s to 1960s.  They may or may not be fitted with innovative features that are common on other types of modern motorbikes.

Cruiser engines emphasize easy rideability and shifting, with plenty of low-end torque and roll-on response though not necessarily large amounts of horsepower.  They are typically powered by a V-Twin motor, but this is not always the case as inline engines are becoming more common.

The seat is low on a cruiser and the rider is commonly set into a position with feet forward, hands in a neutral or high position and spine upright or reclining slightly.

Here are some typical features of cruiser style motorbikes:

• They can weigh anything between 200kg and 366kg.
• Their engine capacity is between 1000cc and 1800cc.
• Their engines have maximum torque between 3000 and 5000 revs
• The average top speed for cruisers is 150kpm.
• The pillion seat can vary greatly.
• The seat height is low at around 700mm.
• There is limited ground clearance when leaning the cruiser over in a corner.

There are four styles of cruisers including Traditional Retro, Chopper, Classic and Street Rod.  They all sport similar retro styling.

Apart from being infinitely cool, there are other benefits to riding cruisers which make them highly popular.  Firstly, cruisers are not all the same.

They are fantastic platforms for customisation and can be heavily personalised to suit the rider’s taste and riding preference.  Indeed, many riders spend thousands building their dream bikes for visual pleasure and enhance comfort as well as performance.

Due to the low seat height, the cruiser is a great choice for shorter riders.Wonderful for casual riding, cruisers can also be used for distance riding or touring depending on the actual model.

While Harley Davidsons and Indians represent typical examples of cruiser style motorbikes, other motorcycle manufacturers have all produced machines that evoke the image of the American style cruiser. Some examples of cruiser motorcycles would be:

• Traditional Retro – Kawasaki Drifter 1500
• Chopper – Suzuki Intruder
• Classic – Kawasaki 1500 Classic F1
• Street Rod – Yamaha Road Star Warrior